Omani, Emirati writers explore how books help children discover their roots

Sharjah: A traditional game with more than 50 names and a fictional girl portrayed as a puppet offered two different ways of exploring identity during a discussion on children’s picture books at the 45th Sharjah International Book Fair.

Omani illustrators Adhari al Shaidhani and Ibtihaj al Harthi joined Emirati author and illustrator Maitha al Khayat to examine how stories can introduce children to their cultural heritage while leaving room for imagination and discovery.

Moderated by Omani writer Al Ghaliya al Saqri, the session on Arab identity in children’s picture books formed part of the fair’s programme, with Oman participating as Guest of Honour.

For Al Shaidhani, who began illustrating children’s stories in 2019, the starting point is often her own childhood among Oman’s farms, wadis and aflaj.

She described a desire to reconnect children with games, songs and outdoor experiences that have become less familiar as digital entertainment occupies more of their lives.

That ambition led her to develop illustrated stories inspired by traditional songs and tales, alongside audio and sung versions. Her aim, she explained, was to introduce children to experiences that engage their senses and encourage an interest in the world beyond the screen.

One project revealed the diversity within those shared traditions. After asking people on social media what they called a particular childhood game, Al Shaidhani received more than 50 names. She incorporated these expressions into a publication to introduce young readers to the variety of vocabulary preserved in Omani popular culture.

Traditional clothing and local expressions also feature in her work, allowing familiar stories to become opportunities for children to encounter words and customs they may not know.

Al Khayat approached the subject through the relationship between words and illustrations. Early in her career, she had viewed an illustration as a mirror of the written text. She later came to see it as a complementary form of storytelling, capable of introducing details and meanings of its own.

In a story about a girl and her grandfather involving diving, she added visual elements beyond those specified in the text. Such details, she explained, can draw children towards unfamiliar objects and traditions, encouraging them to ask questions and investigate further.

The illustrator need not explain everything. Leaving space for discovery allows children to follow their own curiosity, while stories about heritage should still offer adventure, enjoyment and an engaging idea.

For Al Harthi, identity can also be a question a character struggles to answer.

Discussing a book whose title translates as “Who Am I?”, she explained how the central character, Shaikha, changes visually as she moves from living according to others’ expectations towards discovering her own wishes.

At one stage, Shaikha appears as a wooden puppet controlled by strings, reflecting the influence of those around her. As she reconnects with her roots and language, her appearance changes and she becomes a girl who has found a stronger sense of herself.

The illustrations carry aspects of this emotional journey that the words do not explicitly describe, Al Harthi said. Changes in the character and her surroundings communicate both constraint and the process of breaking free.

She also emphasised the preparation behind such choices. Before drawing, she undertakes a period of reflection and visual research, considering the influences within her work and what each element should communicate.

The discussion turned to children’s relationship with printed books. Al Harthi expressed a preference for drawing on the past or imagined worlds rather than reproducing the screen-centred lives children already experience.

Al Shaidhani highlighted the sensory pleasure of handling a book, turning its pages and exploring its illustrations away from digital distractions.

Across the three experiences, cultural identity emerged through different approaches: recovering a childhood song, noticing an unfamiliar object or following a character’s search for belonging. Each offered a way for young readers to discover their heritage while making discoveries of their own.